A Loss and A Gain
by JenMarielle
Summary: OneShot. "Why did you have to take her away from me?" Collapsing like a broken man, Troy's body slid down the wall and there he sat, his body quavering as his sobs grew in intensity. Not written by me. Read and Review!


**A Loss and a Gain**

Note: **Not **written by me! I'm just re-posting for a friend of mine. Read her other story too "Troy's Little Girl". Link can be found in my profile page. Reviews are very much appreciated! (:

Troy looked at his newborn baby girl and slowly, the feelings of loath and disgust were replaced by joy and love. Gently, he stroked her cheek with his forefinger and a small smile crept onto his face. The baby girl made a soft noise and Troy's breath caught in his throat as he remembered how his wife would make noises like that in her sleep.

Tears clouded Troy's eyes and he whispered softly to himself, "Oh Gabi, I wish you were here."

A single tear fell onto the baby girl's blanket and Troy quickly returned her to the nurse before walking out of the hospital nursery. Leaning on the wall, Troy's mind wandered again and again to yesterday's incidents. Collapsing like a broken man, Troy's body slid down the wall and there he sat, his body quavering as his sobs grew in intensity.

Not far from him, his friends stood. Chad, Taylor, Sharpay, Zeke, Ryan and Kelsi were all shocked as they saw Troy collapse. They too had been at the hospital when it all happened. Chad was the first one to react. Quickly, he ran over to Troy's side and tried to pick him up from the ground. His efforts were in vain; Troy refused to get up and merely yelled at Chad to leave him alone.

Troy buried his face in his hands and let his tears fall. "Why did you have to take her away from me?!" Troy repeated, his voice growing louder and louder every time.

Fresh tears rolled down Taylor's face as she approached Troy and sat down beside him. She wrapped her arms around his body tentatively and rubbed his back soothingly. Keeping herself calm, Taylor whispered words of encouragement into Troy's ear as she rocked him back and forth like a young child.

Little by little, Troy's cries subsided and his body no longer shook. Chad and Zeke carefully lifted the exhausted man off the ground and carried him to a room, the room previously occupied by Gabriella Bolton.

The room where they had all gathered just yesterday, excited at the new addition that was soon to come. Laying Troy on the hospital bed, Chad sadly surveyed his best friend. Never had he seen Troy so broken after more than twenty years of friendship. Turning to his wife and friends, he held back a sob. "I'll stay with him; you guys go home and get some rest." One by one, they left the room, leaving Troy, Chad and Taylor inside.

"Chad... Maybe we should give him some space." Taylor whispered to her husband while she covered Troy with the blanket.

Chad shook his head his head tiredly and sat down in a chair next to his buddy. "No Tay, I have to stay with him, he's like a brother to me. It.. It kills me, you know, to see him like this. He just lost Gabi, we lost Gabriella, Tay!"

Chad looked up at Taylor with tears in his eyes and saw that the emotions in her eyes mirrored his.

Taylor let out a shaky breath. "Yes Chad, I know that Gabriella isn't here anymore. I do not need you to tell me that I've just lost my best friend!"

With that outburst, Taylor fell to her knees as the realization that she would never see her best friend anymore hit her. Chad Danforth had never had his heart broken but he was pretty sure when he saw his wife on the ground, sobbing harshly into her hands, that he felt his heart break. Fighting back his own tears, he sat down next to her and pulled her into his lap, brushing hair off of her face and kissing her forehead while whispering words of encouragement, just like she did to Troy earlier.

The Danforths sat in the hospital room, trying to find the words to describe the loss of one of their best friends, Gabriella Bolton.

Chad shook his head, "It's not supposed to be like this," he whispered, "we're all supposed to grow old together... Watch all our kids grow up together, just like we did."

Taylor smiled a sad smile and looked up at him before laying her head  
back on his chest and whispering back to him "I know baby, I know."

The next week was a blur for the whole East High gang as the buried their Gabriella. Upon seeing his wife's body in the casket, Troy nearly broke down again but with the support of his family and friends, he was able to keep it together. Many of Gabriella friends had attended her funeral and no one in the church had dry eyes when the proceeding finally ended. The gang had delivered their eulogies and bade Gabriella a final goodbye before lowering her body into the ground and burying her.

After almost all the guests had left, Troy's mother, Mrs. Lucille Bolton sat next to him and wrapped her arm around his shoulder to pull him towards her. Being in his mother's arms reminded Troy of when he was a little boy. When he fell and scraped his knee, his mother had put her arms around him and promised that everything would be fine.  
She kissed his forehead and just like she promised, he was fine and in no time, he was back climbing trees, playing basketball with Chad and riding his bike with his dad. Returning to the present, Troy heard his mother's soft whispers that everything would be fine and prayed to God that his mom was right.

"Mom... What about the baby?" Troy mumbled softly as he stayed in his mother's embrace. "She looks so much like Gabi and I.. I just don't know if I can.. If I can take care of her, mom."

"Troy, I know you can do it, your father and I raised you not to be afraid of anything right? And we'll all be here sweetheart, we'll all help you take care of her, you know we will. You father is so ecstatic that he has a grandchild and I'm sure that he'll spoil her to no end. Chad and Taylor will be great godparents and Mrs. Montez will also want to be a part of her granddaughter's life." Lucille kissed her son's forehead and hugged him tighter. "You'll be fine Troy, I'm sure Gabriella would agree with me."

Troy choked back a sob and felt a soft smile tug at his lips. "Thanks mom, for everything..." Slowly, he stood up and gave his mother a hug and a kiss to her cheek.

The very next day, Troy, his family, Mrs. Montez and the East High gang were all at the hospital waiting for the moment to bring the newest addition to the family home. While the gang waiting outside, Troy, his parents and his mother-in-law were in the nursery. Carrying the baby girl in his arms, Troy smiled and gently nudged his  
fingertip against her nose.

"I think I'll name her, Natalie. Yeah... Natalie Gabriella Bolton."

Mrs. Montez smiled at her son-in-law and took the baby into her arms, "I think that's a wonderful name Troy, Gabi would have loved it."

With the baby's name and the paperwork settled, Troy carried his little bundle out of the nursery to introduce her to the rest of her family. Choruses of awws, ooohs and so cutes sounded from the gang as they admired the adorable baby. Walking towards his car, Troy looked down at his daughter and smiled before kissing her forehead gently and whispering to her "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. You're daddy's little girl now and I promise you, nothing's ever gonna hurt you."

Strapping his baby into the backseat of his car, Troy and his parents  
drove back to his house where he would start a new chapter of his life.

- KP


End file.
